New member says "Hello" and adds a comment to the lifestyle discussion

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I read the news, comments and information in this forum since quite a while and I already feel "at home" here. Though I could not call myself a collector yet, I am the proud owner of a Cal. 89 Ref. 604 and an even more proud owner of a brand new Spitfire Chrono purchased two weeks ago. The decision was not easy I must say...living in Switzerland is hard enough for a lover of mechanical watches but passing the IWC building with its museum and the boutique every evening on my way home is too much of a challenge. So the virus hit badly. It took about a year to decide ( based on a limited budget ) but finally and supported by everyone in this forum ( without telling you, sorry for that ) I made the right decision. And I definitely opt for more...now this leads to the "Lifestyle" discussion which i browsed through today. Tricky...I surely cannot afford a life in luxury but I am able to invest in quality, which nowadays equals luxury in a limited way of course. I could never wear my Spitfire during the day at work as some people could not even afford the leather strap for it ( the Ref. 604 is not a problem though, it's old !!! ) and even the watch I wear in the office looks like "money" which it is not. So IWC to me definitely is not a lifestyle product but an A1 quality product which I admire and the unbeatable fact that they all show "Schaffhausen" on the dial makes me proud of wearing them when I travel. And it helps to prevent homesickness of course.

So here I am , my name is Tom and I wish you all the best for 2011, looking forward seeing excellent pictures of your Perpetual Calenders in full motion tomorrow.

In my office of about 150 people nobody knows anything about watches. So I wear my luxury watches in complete anonymity.

Dear Michael,

thanks for the welcome ( that was fast ! )..It is nearly impossible to walk around here with an IWC and no-one notices...even if they know nothing about watches they know the brand of course and they know as well how IWC supports the community, hence it is luxury- and not quality at first stage.

Welcome to the Forum. By all means please post some photos of your pair of beauties. The Cal 89 is a favorite of many on this Forum, myself included. And the Spitfire must be great.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of both soon.

Hi,thanks for the welcome, yes I live and work here. Great place and hardly traceable on any map...Unfortunately, I am not equipped ( yet ) to post pictures but I am working on it so maybe next year I will succeed...

5,614 Discussions and CommentsMember since May 29, 2003Sarasota, FL,
United States

Interesting story. In my opinion, when I travel in Switzerland I see more people with high quality watches than anywhere else. Here in the states, most people have no idea what a quality timepiece is. They have heard of Rolex and a few other well advertised brands, but IWC usually brings about a blank stare.I have worn my best watches everywhere and anywhere without any problem.My Plastiki Ingy draws the most comments, usually from women who like the colors but have absolutely no idea what it is. I have never had anyone casually comment on my BPP which is my most prized timepiece.Welcome to the forum.

3,330 Discussions and CommentsMember since Nov. 14, 2008Taylor, TX,
United States

Welcome, Tom! Congratulations on the purchase of your Spitfire Chrono! Wearing my IWC watches every day is a quiet joy that I have for myself. As Michael and Alan pointed out...you can wear an IWC in the States with complete anonymity! We look forward to your contributions to this great forum.

Best regards,Jim

"We are the other people, we are the other people...you're the other people too!" Frank Zappa